Tang Dynasty Swordsman

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Li Ji was completely confused. He immediately grabbed the barbarian and pulled him behind him. Then he bowed to the big man and said, "Brave man, if he is in the right, there is no need to beat him. He has defied the law. Just call the police to arrest him."

The burly man tilted his head and glanced sideways at Li Ji: "You are not from Chang'an, yet you stand up for a barbarian—why bother the thugs to arrest you? Even if I were on duty in the 'Inspection Hall,' I could beat this barbarian to death, and no one would dare to interfere!"

Seeing them stand in formation, many men waiting for their families to emerge from the Guanyin Temple hurriedly stepped back, forming a circle over ten feet in diameter around Li Ji and the burly man. They whispered amongst themselves.

"How did that barbarian manage to provoke this tyrant again?"

"They're usually just dissolute young men, chasing and fighting all day long, what's so strange about that?"

"Yuan Bawang seems to be truly enraged today, I wonder why... I hope it doesn't really lead to someone's death..."

But when the big man mentioned that "the master is on duty in the 'Inspectorate Hall'", everyone was frightened and involuntarily retreated three or five feet.

Only Li Ji, upon hearing the words "Inspectorate," felt not fear but anger, a surge of irritation rushing to his head. He immediately snorted coldly: "Inspectorate, heh, what a great prestige, what a menacing aura! Even the 'Bad People' only have the duty to arrest, not the power to judge. Does the Inspectorate not break the law by beating and killing someone?!"

The burly man, nose in the air, declared, "Of course I haven't broken the law. From the capital prefecture down to Chang'an county, who dares to interfere?!"

Li Ji curled his lip: "Sorry, but I'm going to interfere today—if you want to kill this barbarian, you'll have to get past me first!"

The burly man seemed somewhat surprised, and looked Li Ji up and down again: "Young man, you seem to be a scholar, but do you not know that the barbarians have wreaked havoc on our Tang Dynasty and slaughtered our people? Why are you acting as an accomplice to the barbarians and standing up for them? Have you wasted all your time studying the classics?"

Li Ji, enraged, laughed: "Those who disrupted our Tang dynasty were the rebels An Lushan and Shi Xiangru, who just happened to have a lot of non-Han people in their army; are our Tang generals, such as Li Sikong and Li Yulin (Li Baoyu), not non-Han people? Cart drivers and peddlers are often righteous, and even those in fine clothes and canopies can become treacherous, let alone the distinction between Tang and non-Han people? Even if Tang people are guilty, they should be bound and handed over to the authorities, and not subjected to private torture; but if non-Han people are innocent, with me here, I will not allow you to run rampant!"

As soon as he said this, Li Ji himself felt it was a bit... like casting pearls before swine. Had he instinctively started pontificating just because he was dressed in a scholar's robe? Would the other person even understand him? But you have to admit, this semi-classical parallelism did sound quite imposing.

Judging from the big man's expression, he was indeed somewhat bewildered, but then he glared at him with his bull-like eyes and said, "Why so much nonsense? If you dare to protect this barbarian, I'll kill you too!"

As he spoke, he took a step forward and brought his fist down towards Li Ji's face. Li Ji slightly bent his knees, twisted his waist slightly, turned his body to the side, and raised his left hand to swiftly strike the inside of the big man's elbow joint. By using the force of the blow against him, combined with his own dodge, the big man's forearm involuntarily bent inward, turning a perfectly good straight punch into a clumsy hook.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Li Ji lunged into the burly man's arms, his right hand shooting upwards and striking the man squarely under the chin. With a sharp "smack," the burly man involuntarily tilted his head back and fell backwards.

Fortunately, his lower body was relatively stable. He staggered back five or six steps but eventually managed to stand firmly.

Li Ji thought to himself, what a pity. He was very strong, but he only knew some tricks from street performers and had never properly learned martial arts.

His opponent, repelled by Li Ji's single move, frowned, somewhat bewildered. Just as Jia Yong was about to attack again, a loud shout came from outside the temple: "Hold on, brave warrior!"

Li Ji glanced sideways and saw a dozen servants surrounding a foreign man, rushing into the temple. The foreign man wore a black gauze turban, a brocade robe with a turned-down collar, a gold-trimmed leather belt around his waist, and crepe boots on his feet. It was clear at a glance that he was either rich or noble.

The scholar behind Li Ji immediately shouted, "Father, save me! Father, save me!"

With a whoosh, the servants surrounded the burly man, separating him from Li Ji. But the man remained fearless, merely pursing his lips, stiffening his neck, and glancing sideways at the barbarian who had rushed in; the barbarian, on the other hand, was all smiles, bowing repeatedly, saying, "I don't know where my son has offended you, brave man. I hope you will forgive him for my sake."

The burly man spat, "What face do you have that I can look at you like that? Don't think that just because it's still the Tianbao era, you barbarians dare to run rampant in Chang'an! Now that I'm in the 'Inspection Hall,' I can shut down your shop and have your entire family executed with just a word! I have five fathers backing me now..."

Hearing the words "Fifth Father" filled Li Ji with rage. He immediately darted forward, separating himself from the two servants, and punched the burly man in the face, shouting, "Even if it's your 'Fifth Father,' I'll still beat him!"

He knew that tensions between the Han and non-Han peoples had been escalating in Chang'an recently—after the previous turmoil, Chang'an had fallen to bandits, causing the attitude of everyone from high-ranking officials to ordinary people towards the non-Han people to gradually shift from curiosity and hospitality to hostility and even hatred. So when the man was chasing and beating a non-Han, he initially didn't bother to intervene, but when the non-Han hid in front of him, and given the significant difference in their sizes, he feared someone might die, and thus intervened.

At first, he was quite fond of the burly man—because he was physically imposing, and a man, after all, had to be strong and powerful to be called a "man"... Oh, that's from his past life; these days, "man" is mostly a derogatory term. But then he heard that the man was a "man of the censorate" and even claimed that no one would dare to interfere if he killed someone, which made him somewhat indignant. When the man uttered the words "fifth father," Li Ji could no longer contain his anger.

Li Fuguo, you want to turn enemies into friends? I didn't agree! It's just that our statuses are vastly different, and my own power is limited, so I'm not really worthy to be your opponent, nor is there any need for me to confront you directly. In the end, Li Fuguo is just Li Heng's dog. Even if I disregard the important matters of Li Yu and his son, and spare no effort to kill Li Fuguo with one punch, Li Heng will just create another Wang Fuguo, Zhang Fuguo, or something similar, which will not be of much benefit to the country or the people.

But even if I don't intend to go against Li Fuguo for the time being, do you think I can just ignore one of your dogs who acts recklessly and I see it? Especially since that dog just barked at me and is now calling me "Five Fathers" to my face... What happened to the guy who called me "Five Fathers" last time?

If I don't beat you until you pee today, I'll change my surname from Li to that of your "fifth father"!

So he lunged forward and threw a punch straight at the man's face. The big man hurriedly raised his arm to block. But he was just relying on his strength to act tough; he had never properly learned martial arts, so he was full of openings. Li Ji changed his move slightly, and the punch grazed past his arm, hitting him squarely in the cheekbone.

The burly man felt a buzzing in his head and staggered backward again. Li Ji seized the opportunity and kicked him squarely in the chest, sending the man sprawling to the ground with a thud. Then, he bent his left knee, pinning the man's ribs, grabbed his neck with his left hand, and raised his right fist high…

Before I could strike, someone grabbed my arm.

Li Ji turned his head and saw that the person holding his right arm was actually the Hu man dressed in brocade. The man was about fifty or sixty years old and could indeed be the "father" of the Hu man dressed in scholar's clothes. He had deep-set eyes, a high nose, and very prominent features. His mustache was sticking up high, and he had a curly, fluffy white beard under his chin.

The Hu man pleaded, "Young master, young master, thank you for saving my child, but let's leave it at that. Please let go and don't make things difficult for this old man... I will have something to offer you after a short rest."

Li Ji frowned and asked, "He said he would beat and kill your son, and you still protect him?"

The Hu man smiled broadly: "It's a joke, it's a joke... It's just a squabble between neighbors, nothing worth your time, sir. Please, for my sake, let go, let go."

Li Ji snorted coldly: "I can't stand the words 'Five Fathers' in my life. Hearing them makes me go crazy and want to hit people!" He gripped the man's neck with his left hand, tightened his grip slightly, and demanded: "Did you just say 'Five Fathers'?"

The man said in a hoarse voice, "No, no, sir, you must have misheard. I meant... I meant 'Alas'."

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Chapter Ten, Fine Wine

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When Qingluan came out of Guanyin Temple and returned to the front courtyard of Miaosheng Temple, the fighting had stopped, and the big man who looked fierce but was actually weak had fled in a sorry state—but before leaving, the old Hu man seemed to have stuffed a string of copper coins into his arms.

The father and son, both Hu people, were bowing and scraping to Li Ji, expressing their gratitude for his help. Only then did Li Ji inquire about the details and understand the whole story.

This old man, Hu, was no ordinary man. He was a descendant of the Sogdians who had migrated to China—also known as one of the "Nine Sogdian Clans"—named Kang Qian. His family had been merchants for generations and possessed immense wealth. During the Tianbao era, he ingratiated himself with the powerful minister Yang Guozhong and was granted the position of Protector of Annam.

Of course, it was just a minor official post. The old man's roots were in the Central Plains, and trade routes connected the east and west. He had no interest in going to a wild and uncivilized place like Annam to earn profits from maritime trade. Later, when An Lushan rebelled and the rebel army attacked Chang'an, Kang Qian quickly provided military supplies, thus temporarily preventing his family's wealth from being confiscated.

However, as a seasoned businessman, he was accustomed to hedging his bets and wouldn't put all his eggs in one basket. Therefore, he also secretly colluded with the Lingwu forces, helping to pass on messages. When the Tang army recaptured Chang'an, Kang Qian quickly contributed a large sum of his family's wealth to help the government repair the post stations and roads of Shannan East Circuit. This act reached the emperor's ears, earning Li Heng's praise. Li Heng then appointed him as the acting Minister of Ceremonies, "in charge of Shannan East Circuit," nominally managing post station affairs, but in reality, greatly facilitating the Kang family's business activities within the circuit.

However, the Kang family's life was certainly not as good as before. Even though they had no stain on their reputation, the people of Chang'an gradually became hostile to the Hu people. They might be more lenient towards poor or lowly Hu people, but they were even more resentful of Kang Qian, who had a fortune of hundreds of millions but little power, and often looked at him with disdain.

Kang Qian was merely a "probationary official," meaning he had "no salary, no power, no prestige, and no exemption from corvée labor." He was even inferior to those of the lowest rank—at least those of the lowest rank received a salary, were allowed to use ceremonial regalia of a corresponding rank, and were exempt from corvée labor—he was deprived of almost all the privileges of an official. If he were actually sent to Shannan East Circuit (southern Henan, southern Shaanxi, and northern Hubei), perhaps he could be treated with some respect, but in Chang'an, who would take him seriously?

As for the one dressed in scholar's robes, he was Kang Qian's youngest son, named Kang Lian. He was probably born prematurely, resulting in a small and weak build. Kang Qian's older sons had all gone out into business, and seeing that his youngest son had no business acumen, and also worried that since the family had no powerful backing and their property might be seized, he decided to donate money to get Kang Lian a place in the Imperial Academy and force him to study there.

Unfortunately, Kang Lian did not study well and often skipped school to gamble with others. He was also arrogant and always wore a brocade robe wherever he went, which led to today's trouble.

The burly man was named Yuan Jing'an, who claimed to be Miao Yin, a member of the Later Wei imperial family, but in reality, he was destitute. He and Kang Lian lived in the same neighborhood and were about the same age, having grown up together as children. As he grew up, Yuan Jing'an became incredibly strong and domineering, frequently picking fights with people. Even when the local thugs detained him for some reason, he would grab a stick and chase him all the way from the north of Liquan neighborhood to the south of Yanshou neighborhood, thus earning him the nickname "Overlord."

However, according to Li Ji's later inquiries through other channels, Yuan Jing'an was not a complete scoundrel. He was not exactly generous or righteous, nor did he bully the widowed, orphaned, or lonely. Occasionally, he would stand up for the weak and help old ladies cross the street...

However, Yuan Jing'an was also a gambler. When he gambled with Kang Lian, arguments inevitably arose over who won and who lost, and the flow of money. In the heat of the moment, these arguments even escalated into physical fights. Originally, Kang Qian didn't care—who dared to hit my son? I'd just hire someone to deal with him! But after Chang'an was recaptured, the Kang family's power waned, and all the neighbors were hostile towards them. Countless officials, like vicious dogs, were eyeing their property. Fearing being caught red-handed, Kang Qian dared not protect his son any longer. He would personally plead with them and pay bribes to resolve the gambling disputes for Kang Lian.

As for disciplining his son after returning home, it wasn't the first time, but Kang Lian always refused to listen. This morning, the brat ran away to gamble again, and Yuan Jing'an, through some unknown means, managed to get into the "Inspectorate," becoming even more arrogant. After a few words, he berated Kang Lian: "You barbarian, how dare you wear scholar's clothes? Quickly strip them off and pawn them to buy me wine, or I'll beat you to death on the spot, and now no one dares to question you!"

When Li Ji heard the father and son talking about this, he couldn't help but glance at them sideways and asked coldly, "Is it all nonsense that he said you are Shi Siming's spies?"

Kang Qian hurriedly said, "In the heat of an argument, what kind of harsh words wouldn't come out? Of course, they are just nonsense. Young master, please don't believe them, and don't spread them around... Otherwise, I'm afraid my whole family will be unjustly imprisoned!"

Li Ji thought to himself, since you have been hedging your bets between Yan and Tang—of course, this is not something Kang Qian said himself, but something Li Ji deduced from a few words—then it is reasonable for you to be secretly communicating with Shi Siming now. There is no smoke without fire, is there?

The Kang father and son asked Li Ji his name, and Li Ji honestly told them. Kang Qian's eyes widened slightly, and he bowed, asking, "Could you be Li Erlang, who single-handedly defeated the barbarians in Longyou?" Li Ji smiled and said, "That is indeed Li Ji, but the 'single-handed' claim is pure fabrication and should not be taken seriously..."

The Kang father and son bowed repeatedly and said, "The name of Erlang is renowned throughout the world. How fortunate we are to have met Erlang! We have heard that Erlang lives in Wannian County and has come to Chang'an County today. We humbly request that we be allowed to be your hosts to repay your kindness."

Li Ji politely declined, but Madam Kang repeatedly pleaded. Kang Qian said, "The West Market is to the south. Although it is not as bustling as the East Market, since Erlang is here, we should go and have a look around. I own several shops in the market and also have gold and jewelry. I can buy some jewelry for you, Madam..."

—At this moment, Qingluan had already come out and was nestled beside Li Ji, hence Kang Qian's words. Of course, he didn't know that she was a concubine, not the principal wife, but even if he did, calling her "Madam" wouldn't offend her, would it?

"...There are also taverns, where Hu girls perform dances. I humbly request that you, Erlang and your wife, grace us with your presence."

Li Ji was slightly tempted upon hearing this—it would be a waste not to take advantage of such a feast that had been delivered to his doorstep. Especially since Kang Qian concluded by saying, "Does Your Excellency have a prejudice against us because we are called 'Hu'? My ancestors entered the Central Plains during the Later Wei Dynasty and settled there for generations. Even if we dared not call ourselves Tang people, we would not separate ourselves from China. Even the sage considered the Tang and Hu people as one family and regarded us as his children. Does Your Excellency look down on us because of our deep-set eyes and high noses, and our appearance being different from that of the Tang people?"

Li Ji, of course, refused to admit to "racial discrimination," so he reluctantly followed the Kang family and left Miaosheng Temple, exited Liquanfang, and headed straight for the West Market.

It was still early, so Kang Qian told his son to go ahead and prepare. He then led Li Ji on a tour of half the city, mainly visiting shops owned by the Kang family. Especially the gold shops; as soon as Kang Qian entered, he ordered the counter to display various jewelry and ornaments, laying them out for Qingluan to choose from. Qingluan's eyes sparkled, shining just as brightly as the day she received her redemption papers from Li Ji…

However, Qingluan was sensible after all. She looked at them but never chose any, nor did she pester Li Ji to buy them. But before leaving, Kang Qian gave her a look and ordered someone to secretly pack up the few pieces of jewelry that Qingluan had been eyeing, to be presented to her at an opportune moment.

At noon, they arrived at a tavern, where Kang Lian was already waiting at the door. He then ushered Li Ji and Qing Luan into an elegant room, where a variety of delicacies were served one after another.

However, in those days, food was hard to preserve. Even though the Kang family controlled many trade routes, and their business was said to have reached as far as the Abbasid Caliphate, the dishes they served were still quite ordinary—the cooking methods of the Hu people were relatively monotonous, and the Chinese had long since mastered them. Only when a Hu woman presented him with a glass bottle filled with bright red wine did Li Ji's mouth water at the sight of it.

Red wine, ah, it's been so many years since I've had it...

He couldn't help but recite: "Fine wine in a luminous cup, I long to drink, but the pipa urges me on. Do not laugh at me, drunk and fallen on the battlefield; how many have returned from ancient battles?"

This poem was written by Wang Han, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) during the Jingyun era of Emperor Ruizong. Li Ji first read it when he was collecting contemporary poems in Ding'an; and only then did he realize that China already had wine at that time - it's just a pity that he never had the chance to see it.

Kang Qian, adept at reading people, immediately took the glass bottle from the Hu woman's hand, filled it for Li Ji, and introduced it, saying, "This is a fine wine transported from Anxi, thousands of miles away. It's made from grapes grown in the Gaochang and Jiaohe regions, pressed and fermented, then stored in wooden barrels for three months to achieve its best flavor. People often call it Anxi wine, but it's not actually from there; it was brought from the west. Tracing its origins, it's said to have come from the distant Qin Dynasty..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "I know, it's the Eastern Roman Empire." Back then, Western Europe was still a semi-wilderness, so of course there wouldn't be French wine. The highest quality wines would probably be from the Antarctic Peninsula.

Unfortunately, it's too far away; I probably won't be able to drink it in my lifetime.

Immediately pick up the wine glass, swirl it slightly to observe its color, then place it to your nose to smell its aroma, and finally take a small sip, spreading it on your tongue to taste its flavor.

Kang Qian immediately gave a thumbs up: "Erlang really knows his stuff."

This red wine is indeed quite good, but it's a little too sweet—which is to be expected, as most ancient wines made in this era don't completely eliminate sweetness.

The Kang father and son repeatedly urged Qingluan to drink, and even Qingluan was persuaded to drink a cup. The alcohol made her cheeks flush, making her even more beautiful. Then they summoned Hu women to perform a dance. Each of them had a slender figure and twirled like the wind. Even Qingluan watched them intently.

But in truth, Qingluan simply didn't want to spoil the harmonious atmosphere and upset her husband, though her heart was pounding. One moment she worried, "This Anxi wine is so expensive! It's said to cost over a thousand per liter. What if my husband gets addicted? My family can't afford it..." The next moment she was afraid, "This Hu woman is so graceful and has such fair skin. What if my husband wants to buy her and take her home?"

During the banquet, Li Ji inquired about the market situation from Kang Qian. Kang Qian seemed to know everything, but at least three out of ten sentences were complaints: "Business is getting harder and harder… In recent years, prices have skyrocketed. Even scholars often have no spare money. If they do have some, they usually hoard it for a famine. Why would they come to my shop to buy goods? We merchants don't want to either, but rice, flour, cloth, and labor are all expensive. So how can jewelry, fine clothes, and fine wines and dishes not rise in price? It's truly a case of one thing being expensive, and everything else becoming expensive…"

"I only hope that the rebellion in Guandong can be quelled as soon as possible, so that the horses can graze freely in the southern mountains, the army can rest and farmers can return to work, and prices can be brought down a bit. I don't ask to restore the prosperity of the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, but it would be enough during the Yanhe and Xiantian eras... At that time, the retired emperor would be the crown prince, or newly enthroned, with ministers like Yao and Song, the world would be at peace, people could rest, farmers could have enough to eat, and we merchants would be happy too..."

Li Ji asked him with a smile, "When the Emperor first ascended the throne, were you still an infant?"

"What Erlang said... Although he has not yet come of age, he has already been helping his father run the shop."

"I thought you were only over fifty—but you don't look it."

“Erlang is joking. I’m old and frail…” He glared at his son as he spoke, “But this brat is a real worry for me. I can only grit my teeth and bear it, and refuse to die.”

Li Ji thought to himself, "You are not young, but you are still very energetic, your back is straight, and you speak fluently. You can live for another 10 or 20 years, right?"

As they were chatting, a sudden, piercing howl came from next door, like a wild boar being stabbed in the rear end with a knife. Qingluan, who was drinking, involuntarily trembled, spilling most of her red wine. She then curled up in Li Ji's arms like a wounded fawn, stammering, "What...what was that sound? Could it be...a wolf howling?!"

Li Ji and the Kang father and son were equally astonished, especially since the howl wasn't just once; soon there was a second, a third, and so on, rising and falling like a pack of wolves howling at the moon. Kang Qian hurriedly called to his servants, "Go and see what's going on! Is that a human's cry, or the howl of a wild beast?"

The servant returned shortly after leaving, wanting to whisper in Kang Qian's ear to report, but Old Hu slapped him away: "Just speak, what is there to hide?"

The servant bowed and said, "There were some Uyghurs drinking next door when they suddenly started wailing. The innkeeper called for help to stop them, but they wouldn't listen and were crying loudly..."

Kang Qian frowned: "Have you found out why they call themselves that?"

"We just received the news that the Uyghur Khan is dead... They not only cried out, but also drew their swords and slashed their faces, blood flowing all over the ground..."

Hearing this from the side, Li Ji thought to himself, "Finally... I had long guessed that the mighty Khan wouldn't live much longer, but I never expected that after falling from his horse during the last hunt, he would actually endure for more than half a year before finally passing away." He knew that "shaving the face" was a custom of many northern nomadic peoples. When someone in the family died, one of the relatives would cut the face with a knife and let the blood mix with tears to flow down as a sign of grief.

If a chief passes away, many tribal members will often cut their faces and compete to express their condolences.

But Li Ji immediately thought: Princess Ningguo is really pitiful. She has only been a Khatun for less than a year before her husband died... It seems that each of her three marriages is shorter than the last... So what will happen to Princess Ningguo after the death of the mighty Khan?

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Chapter Eleven, Sugar-Coated Bullets

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Kang Qian instructed his servants: "Tell the innkeeper that if the Uyghurs want to cry, let them cry. Even if they cut their faces, it doesn't matter. Our Tang Dynasty values ​​loyalty, filial piety, and etiquette the most. So how can we not be humane and forcibly stop them from mourning the death of their elders? As for disturbing the other customers, explain the situation to each of them and apologize. At worst, we can just halve the cost of the wine."

The servant obeyed and left. Kang Qian then turned back to Li Ji, smiling apologetically: "The time is bad today, I have spoiled your enjoyment, Erlang. I am guilty—come, Erlang, have another cup of wine as my apology."

Li Ji laughed and said, "This is not your fault, sir. Why apologize? You handled it very well. Even if the Uyghurs were a friendly nation, there would be no reason for the Tibetans not to mourn if the Tibetan king died."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Sir, are you familiar with the customs of the Uyghurs?"

Kang Qian nodded and said, "My family also has a caravan that frequently travels to the Uyghur region. Only by being familiar with the local customs can we trade smoothly. Erlang, are you asking about the custom of 'shaving the face'? This is..."

Li Ji smiled and waved his hand, politely interrupting Kang Qian: "The custom of 'scarving the face' is recorded in historical books. The Xiongnu and Turks both did this, so I know that. But I've heard that in the old customs of the Xiongnu and Turks, when a leader died and passed the throne to his son, the new leader would have an affair with his stepmother. Is it the same for the Uyghurs?"

According to the old customs of nomadic peoples, after a father's death, the son not only inherits his property but also his wives. Besides his own mother, the father's wife becomes the son's wife, and the father's concubine becomes the son's concubine. This practice is called "zheng" in Chinese, and is considered a grave violation of etiquette, worse than that of animals—hence the related terms such as "zhengyin" (蒸淫), "zhengbao" (蒸报), and "zhengluan" (蒸乱), all of which are derogatory.

This kind of behavior cannot be completely eradicated even in China. Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, even had an affair with his stepmother, marrying Wu Zetian, a concubine of his father, Li Shimin, who later became Empress Wu Zetian. This is why some people criticize the Li family for "not shedding their barbarian ways." But actually, this has nothing to do with barbarian customs. Even if the Longxi Li clan had once been influenced by barbarians, after the founding of the dynasty, they embraced Confucianism and Taoism, and their old habits were long gone. This was purely a lapse in judgment on Li Zhi's part.

However, this custom is very prevalent among nomadic peoples of the grasslands, mainly for the purpose of continuing their lineage. People don't care about Zhou rituals or seniority.

For example, Wang Zhaojun was married off to Huhanye Chanyu of the Xiongnu. She stayed with him for three years and gave birth to a son, Yituzhiya. When Huhanye died, his eldest son, Fuzhulei Chanyu, succeeded him. Wang Zhaojun wrote a letter requesting to return home, but Emperor Cheng of Han ordered her to "follow the customs of the Xiongnu." So she had no choice but to remarry Fuzhulei Chanyu as his queen (Chanyu's principal wife). They stayed together for eleven years, and she gave birth to two more daughters.

Therefore, Li Ji pondered that after the death of the valiant Khan, the throne would most likely fall to his youngest son, the current Crown Prince Yidi Jian. Should Princess Ningguo then remarry Yidi Jian, thus beginning her fourth marriage? He asked Kang Qian this question. Kang Qian replied:

"While the customs of the Uyghurs largely followed those of the Turks, there were also significant differences. The ancient Xiongnu were entirely different. The Uyghur tribes were numerous, and many had the custom of having concubines marry their stepmothers. However, as for the daughters of the Khan, the Yaoluoge clan, it was customary to have them buried alive with the Khan. After the Khan's death, wives and concubines with children were buried with him, while those without children were all buried alive with him."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji's expression changed drastically, and he jumped up in a flash.

He thought to himself, "Six months ago, when I visited the Uyghur capital, Princess Ningguo showed no signs of pregnancy. The old Khan had fallen from his horse and was probably too weak to sleep with women then. So, it's highly likely that Princess Ningguo was childless. According to Uyghur custom, does that mean she had to be buried alive with the mighty Khan?"

Kang Qian hadn't thought of this question before, but when he saw Li Ji suddenly raise his eyebrows, widen his eyes, and jump up with an expression that seemed to be both shocked and angry, this old and shrewd Hu man immediately realized what was going on—"Princess Ningguo!"

He then hesitated for a moment before saying, "After all, she is a princess whom the sage has always cherished. Surely the Uyghurs wouldn't order her to be buried alive with him..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Bao Ai my ass! If he really cared, he wouldn't have married her off to the Uyghurs. That bastard Li Heng is outwardly kind but inwardly cold-hearted. He's willing to imprison his father and kill his son; would he really be reluctant to part with a daughter?"

He didn't respond to Kang Qian's words, but just remained silent in thought.

Kang Qian, of course, was unaware that Li Ji and Princess Ningguo had met several times, and even thought he understood Li Ji's concerns. After all, the Hu family had lived in the Central Plains for generations and had held official positions in the Tang Dynasty; regardless of how others viewed him, he considered himself a pure Tang citizen. From the perspective of an ordinary Tang citizen, his princess, regardless of the reasons or customs, should not be allowed to be humiliated by foreign tribes, let alone ordered to die.

This death of a Tang princess has brought shame upon the entire Tang people!